


Come Down, Hurting, Learning

by BlackBerryYams



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Arkham Knight AU, Barbara Gordon mentioned, Blood and Violence, Bruce Wayne mentioned - Freeform, Cassie Sandsmark mentioned, Dick Grayson mentioned, Enemies to Friends, Gen, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason Todd is a Tsundere, Making Up, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Post-Batman: Arkham Knight, Pre- Damian Wayne, Slade Wilson mentioned - Freeform, Some Spanish, Tim Drake is Red Robin, Tim Drake is leader of YJ, Tim Drake loves his friends, joker mentioned - Freeform, talia al ghul mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25982734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackBerryYams/pseuds/BlackBerryYams
Summary: Red Robin investigates a mercenary group making their way up to the US. His detective-ing gets interrupted by the sudden entrance of the Red Hood, so now Tim has to deal with the Red Hood's attitude and his own feelings...
Relationships: Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm very bad tagging things, but I hope this little fic helps alleviate your jaytim needs, even if a little. Enjoy!

Steph begged for months at having a chance leading the team. She joined the Young Justice specifically for that. To observe and learn from her ex-boyfriend and senior Robin, she said. And Tim knew she would be a great leader eventually, but sometimes Steph could be a little too cocky and jump the gun before it was time. So after weeks of coaching and assessing, Tim decided that it was time for her to lead a small mission. Something that, if anything went wrong, no real harm would be done. The quiz before the test, he told her. If the mission was cleared perfectly, then next time she could call the shots on a  _real_ mission. The rest of the team members agreed, and so the team left San Francisco and Red Robin behind. 

It had been months since Tim had been truly alone, and the calm and silence in their hideout could almost make him cry with joy. He loved his friends with all his heart, but alas, they were a noisy bunch. If the quiz mission went according to plan, Tim would only be able to enjoy this serenity for just 48 hours, so he let himself appreciate the silence to the fullest.

He stationed himself on the living room's couch. With a steaming cup of cappuccino on one hand, blanket on the other, he cocooned himself between the pillows. He dug out his laptop from in-between the cushions, and began to work on his own project.

A mercenary group from Central America had been slowly making their way to the States, and his sources mentioned the west coast being of interest to said group. They called themselves the Pirañas Bravas , aka  _fearsome piranhas_ . Not a very intimidating name in Tim's opinion, but they were still a group to be weary of. They didn't go after cartels or governments, but they had had deadly encounters with other under-the-radar mercenary groups. For now, it seemed that their only goal was to make it into the United States, dismembering whoever got in their way. Tim's mission for the evening would be a simple one: observe this new group and gather information. 

San Francisco would be alright without him for a couple of hours, but for now there was still time to enjoy the hideout and it's tranquility.

The rest of the day was spent training and going over his Spanish. Even if he could easily communicate in almost every language, Tim still needed a reminder on Central American slang words. Perhaps the team should take a short vacation to Costa Rica. For educational reasons only, of course. _Definitely not for the food,_ he thought as his stomach called out.

After getting dinner at a Guatemalan restaurant in the city (for both educational and physiological reasons,) Tim returned to the hideout and prepared his ride to San Diego. Impulse named it the Red Penguin.

“Red because of you, Red Rob, and Penguin, 'cus you know, underwater bird.” Bart finished, flapping his hands besides his chest.

Tim wasn't thrilled about the name, but the rest of the team began to chant  _Red Pen-Guin! Red Pen-Guin!_ before he got the chance to say anything about it. Sure, penguins are cute, and a baby red penguin would be adorable to see, but Tim could only think of The Penguin, aka, Oswald C. Cobblepot, and his absurdly long nose. Later that week, Conner returned to the hideout with a personalized vinyl sticker of, indeed, a baby red penguin wearing a black mask and cape. Tim stuck it in the center of the steering wheel, and he loved his friends even more for being ridiculous and adorable. His company in San Francisco was so different from the one in Gotham... 

It was a two hour journey to San Diego. Tim checked in with the team during the ride, and so far things were going okay. He could see them all, squinting from the reflection of the sun on the snowy mountains of northern China, and they all could see him, masked and ready, surrounded by dark waters and enlightened by the blue light of the control board.

“Where are you going?” Asked Conner, looking stern and sounding grumpy. His typical worried expressions.

“San Diego. There's a team of mercenaries making their way there.” There was nothing but water in the Pacific Ocean, but Tim kept his eyes up nevertheless.

“Tim...!” Stephanie protested. He could picture her inflating like a puffer fish.

“I won't engage.”

“You better not!” Said Bart sounding more distant than the rest.

“I'm just going to find out what they want. I promise I won't do anything you guys wouldn't do.”

“And what's that?” Said Conner, frowning deeply.

“Being stupid.” Tim smiled, finally looking at his friends. His team members scoffed and rolled their eyes. By the relaxing of their shoulders, he knew his jesting tone had eased them a little bit.

“Fine.” Said Steph, pointing a finger at the com screen, “But if anything goes south, we will know. And we will abort the mission to help you.”

“That's very kind of you, but it won't be necessary. Your mission won't be compromised in the slightest.”

“We'll see about that.” Steph answered. “Anyway, we should go. The temple is coming into view. Call us if you're in trouble, alright?!”

“I will.” Tim answered in auto-mode. “Same goes for you. Good luck.”

With that, their chat ended, and Tim was left alone with his red penguin sticker and the blue light on his face.

He found them near the water, brooding about an “empty warehouse”.

Typical. How come bad guys never came up with other more innovative hiding spots? Would make it a little bit more fun to find them, at least...

Using the infrared setting on his mask, Tim counted 50 heavily armed men in total. Most of them were inside the warehouse. Five of them guarded the exterior from the ground, while the other five looked-out on the rooftops of nearby buildings. He would have taken them out already if not for the promise he made to his teammates. Either way, 50 vs 1 was a very tantalizing thought for a hide and seek game. Almost thrilling if he didn't use his gadgets. The plan remained the same, no matter what: sneak past the guards, and eavesdrop on the members inside the warehouse. Easy enough.

The mercenaries had been smart to clean up all objects from the deck at least, leaving Tim to pull a Catwoman. Crawling upside down on the deck, the high-tide ocean water splashed against the wooden beams that held everything up. This caused Red Robin's suite to get slightly wet, but the tips of his cape became awfully drenched. Hanging on to the planks was something he wasn't used to do, but he appreciated Selena for having shown him the ropes. With people like her, the lines between villains and heroes were starting to become less and less clear.

Tim discarded his soaking cape when he reached the ledge of the pier, tying it against a beam for safe keeping. There were two men on either corner of the deck where the warehouse stood. They didn't move from their post, which made the infiltration a bit more complicated. Tim hung upside down with arms crossed, thinking of distractions that wouldn't alert the men too much, when suddenly, the sound of a revving motorcycle began to echo throughout the entire deck.

The men guarding the back of the warehouse stirred, turning to take a look of what was making all the ruckus. As soon as their bodies twisted away, Tim launched himself from the bottom of the deck, and climbed the wall of the warehouse to the roof in a single swoop. He huddled against the metal beams of the roof, stifling his breath to catch the words being yelled.

There were footsteps shuffling from the buildings surrounding the epicenter of the commotion, as well as thuds of feet against the wooden deck. Tim inched his vision to see if all the onlookers of the nearby buildings had descended, and they had done so indeed. The sky was his at last.

He tiptoed silently towards the front of the warehouse, but it didn't mattered, really. The motorcycle's roaring muted every sound, even the shouts of the men below. The front of the warehouse was a sea of mercenaries, all pointing their guns to the rider one on the motorcycle. Tim bit his lip when he saw the bright red helmet wore by the surrounded man.

The Red Hood...

A Central American mercenary group...

Things were starting to fall into place.

A man exited the warehouse's entrance, and the motor of the machine died at last. The boss of the Piranhas finally appeared. The Red Hood leaned over the head of his motorcycle, resting his chin on his laced fingers. The men parted as the boss made his way towards Jason Todd.

“Te crees el invencible, eh, Rojo?”  Said the boss.  “Dudo que hayas venido solo.”

“No importa. Realmente me sorprende lo simplón que eres por haber aceptado nuestra invitación.”  He laughed, joyless. 

Tim didn't know if Todd was working alone or not at the time, but it seemed like the boss knew him after all. Had they worked together before? Was this revenge for something? They didn't seem to be on friendly terms. The boss continued to degrade the Red Hood in a very thick accent that made it slightly difficult for Tim to understand every word, but the idea got through.

Jason had betrayed them. Left them to deal with their enemies.  _Jason's_ enemies. He had recruited them, trained them, made them into a family, all to use them to kill the Batman. They were what was left of Jason's army. He left them to die on the streets of Gotham, to rot behind Black Gate's bars, to crawl back into the shadows and utilize what they had learned from their leader against him. 

How ironic.

The Red Hood listened to the boss almost motionless, maintaining his chin rested over a cupped hand. The leader yelled insults at him, pointing at the red bat over Jason's chest.

How dare he join his most hated enemy? He was weak. He had folded over the Batman's will. He had lost. He was to die for surrendering, etc, etc.

Tim noticed how Todd's posture had slightly deflated throughout the boss' complaints. His issues with Batman weren't fully resolved, from what Tim had overheard. Was he having second thoughts?

It had been two years since Jason had returned, raising hell on Gotham, declaring war on their mentor and adoptive father. He had been the incarnation of rage and hatred. He beat Tim to the ground for taking the title of Robin from him. The young boy had never been so afraid of someone until the Arkham Knight brought out a crowbar to beat him the way he had been beaten once. It wasn't a nice memory.

For years Todd's mission had been to kill Bruce, his one and only purpose in life since the League of Assassins had let him go. Now he was wearing the bat on his chest. Why? Had Jason Todd really changed? He still killed people left and right, didn't he? He still disappeared when Batman needed him, when Nightwing and Oracle begged him to go back home.

Tim knew he was biased when it came to the man behind the Red Hood. His emotions on the subject didn't let him make the wisest decisions at times. Hopefully, tonight wouldn't be one of those days.

“Can I talk now?” Asked Todd, once silence reclaimed the deck.

“They'll be your last words.” Said the boss, raising a hand at the ready. Jason stretched his neck side to side, sighing loudly.

“Listen,” He started, “you're right.” He sighed.

Tim perked up, incredulous. The rest of the men were taken aback as well, exchanging looks between each other, unconsciously lowering their arms.

“Everything you said is true. I did use you guys. And I did leave you to die. And I did join the fuckin' Bat.”

“So you accept your crimes. You're ready to die?” Said the boss, slightly raising his readied hand.

“No? I don't plan on dying tonight.” Explained Todd, sitting up and crossing his arms over his chest. “I agreed on meeting you here knowing what you wanted, Chico, I'm not stupid.”

The circle around Todd seemed to get smaller and smaller by the second. EvenTim felt himself getting pulled in by the Red Hood's heavy silence.

Then, a growl. Gravel and blood mixed to speak as one emerged from underneath the hood.

“I'm here to give you an ultimatum.” The hairs at the back of Tim's neck stuck up.

Who ever that annoyed tweenster had been, was no more. The true leader and creator of the merciless militia that destroyed Gotham years ago had returned to make his final order.

“Go back home.” He spoke, “And don't come back.”

From behind his back the Red Hood materialized two large bags. He tossed them towards the boss' feet, and stacks of $100 bills fell from both of them.

“Y-You think you can buy us? Money is not what we want!” The boss spat.

“Make the damned right decision, Chico. Take the money and leave. I'm giving you the chance to go back home and make things right. Where it matters.” As he spoke, Red Hood's voice lost his deadly demeanor, into something warmer. Tim couldn't help but notice the pleading tone in his voice, and he doubt the mercenaries didn't as well.

“Get your hometown back from the cartels. Build a new hospital. The playground your daughter wanted so much.”

Red Hood turned to look at the men around him.

“You all have suffered like I have. You all have lost someone you loved. Grab this money and do what I did. Go back home to the people that love you and help them.”

' _Do what I did??' What's he talking about? He never helped us,_ thought Tim inching closer.

“But if you take this money and end up fucking up your own town, I swear, I will go after you, and end all of you.” 

Silence again. From above, Tim saw everyone's muscles tense up.

He scanned the men for any sign of movement, any sign of submission or defiance. There was nothing, but disbelief.

Jason Todd was showing mercy... He was giving them a way out of their destructive habits, giving them the means to fix their lives. Did they see that as weak? Tim had a feeling Jason's plan wasn't going to end up well.

“You don't get it, Rojo.” Said the boss shaking his head, “We came here for your blood, not your money. But we'll take this, too.”

He crouched and picked up a stash of the money. The boss turned back to the warehouse.

“Kill him.”

Before the shooting began, before the brains of the mercenaries heard the command, before Tim dropped his can of smoke, an arrow fell at Jason's feet. It exploded, Tim's can touched the ground, Jason looked up, and the bullets began to fly.

Smoke, dust, and wood pieces erupted into a cloud. Men were shouting and screaming in pain inside the cloud, bullets piercing out of it flew out with a stream of blood and smoke. Tim took advantage of the cover up and rose to catch a glimpse of both Jason and the person who had fired the arrow, finding nothing more than debris of the explosion still flying in the air. Then, the revving motor cut through all the shouts and shots, and a large shape tore from the cloud and crashed against the wall of the building. Red Hood rose from the impact, landing in front of Tim, making the younger boy fall back.

“What the hell are you doing here?!” The Red Hood yelled.

“This is my coast!” Yelped Tim, jumping back onto his feet. “You're compromising the safety of the citizens by meeting these people here!”

“Do you see any regular citizens around?!” Jason screamed back, swinging his guns above his head. “I chose this place 'cus there's no one here at night!”

Tim felt his mouth fall agape. He thought the mercenaries had been the one to choose this place... Leave it to Jason Todd to think like a traditional baddy...

“En el techo!” Someone yelled from beneath, followed by a volley of bullets flying to meet them.

Both Tim and Red Hood fell back, evading the bullets. There were still screams of pain from the mercenaries, but Tim couldn't tell if a new group had appeared to murder Jason first, or if indeed he had created a new team for himself. If only Tim had noticed the surprised projectile before it exploded...

“Leave.” The Red Hood growled. The fight was roaring underneath them, but Tim could only focus on Hood's stare. They held each other's hidden gaze ignoring the fight below for what seemed like ages.

“ Cobarde!”  They heard the boss yelled out. “You hide and let your followers do all your dirty work! We'll severe their heads from their bodies too!” 

Red Hood sighed, still not breaking his gaze from the other Robin. With a grunt, the young man turned, and broke into a dash. He jumped, and disappeared into the rubble, leaving Tim behind on the roof.

“ _Leave._ ” Tim echoed, frowning at the thought.

He could easily do so. Red Hood wasn't alone. He wouldn't die. Tim's conscience would remain clean.

Leave?

Maybe if Nightwing would have told him to, he would have listened. If Oracle had, there would be no more say in the matter. But Todd? Todd had no saying in what Tim could and couldn't do.

So Red Robin jumped off the roof too, getting a perfect picture of the situation.

Guns were on the flood, along with bleeding and struggling men. Arsenal, aka Roy Harper, the lost arrow, stood shooting away at his enemies from afar. There was the Tamaranean princess, Koriand'r, aka Starfire, swatting men into the ocean like flies. Another giant woman wielding a huge ax used the blunt side of her weapon to crush the mercenary's extremities. By the look for her whole being, she was an Amazon of some kind. Tim felt their eyes blinking his way, but none of them turned to face him. They were having too much fun bullying the mercenaries.

Tim landed on the dusty planks on a crouch and looked around. The men were too busy to even notice his entrance to the fight, leaving him to focus on the most pressing matter. Behind and inside the warehouse, the Red Hood and the boss fought hand-to-hand. Tim dashed to the two men, and struck a flying kick on the boss' shoulder, sending him to crash against some metal containers.

“What the fuck!” Shouted the standing man. “I told you to leave!”

“I'm not leaving until this is all cleared out.” Tim replied, before catching a punch from Red Hood.

“You're such a nuisance.” The man growled, pushing down on the smaller boy. “You, with your freaking attitude. Get that stick out your ass, ya lil' brat.”

Tim caught the other flying hand, and struggled against his senior's superior body strength. Too fast, the Red Hood passed a leg in between Tim's, catching on to his left calf, and swept him to the floor. With the motion, Red Hood propelled himself towards the rising enemy, leaving Tim to spin behind him.

“I'll be out of your way,” Yelled Tim, getting back to his feet “and you of mine sooner, if we cooperate!”

The piranha boss grunted, rising from his fall, and seeing the two ex-Robins coming to stand side by side.The Red Hood gave two middle fingers to Tim, and Tim sighed, shaking his head.

Red Hood turned his attention back to the injured man. The boss out of breath, huffing like a wild boar.

“Come on, Chico.  No puedes ganar. ” Said Red Hood, almost annoyed. “Para de  pelea y vete a casa. ” 

The boss gritted his teeth. Tim could feel the wheels turning on the man's brain.

One contender was fair. If the contender was the Red Hood, fairness was out of the picture, but victory could still be a possibility. Now with two contenders, both being bat surrogates, there was little chance the man could win. He wasn't a bad fighter, Tim thought. His men were good too. He could hear them returning to the fight outside with rearing battle cries, but they weren't as good as Red Hood, his team, or Tim himself. No matter how much they fought, with whichever weapons, or numbers, the end would be the same. They wouldn't achieve their goal. They could survive by running away, but that wasn't the victory they wanted.

The boss knew this. His muscles began to loosen as the seconds passed by, but the intensity in his eyes lingered.

“No.” He said. Besides Tim, the Red Hood began to walk forward, hunched over himself.

“You should have stayed dead.” The boss started to undo his cargo vest, and as Red Hood slowed his march, a strap of explosives pressed against the boss' chest became visible to their eyes.

“ Nos diste esperanza, y después nos la arrebataste, Rojo.”  From one of his pockets, the man extracted the detonator. Tim took a step backwards. The Red Hood came to a full stop, extending an arm to the side, signaling Tim to stop moving.

“Dijiste que nos guiarías a la victoria, y que nos ayudarías a reconstruir nuestros pueblos. Pero fue todo una mentira. ” His eyes were shining bright, his smile too wide.

“ Te tuviste que haber quedado muerto, mejor que darnos esperanza.”  The man raised the detonator to his face. Tim heard Jason reach for air, but the man rested his thumb on the red button, and pressed down. 

Tim saw only a red and white flash, then the ceiling. He felt the Red Hood's jacket collar tickle underneath his nose, and in that millisecond he found very curious that, even if the world was exploding and blazing around him, how could he only focus on the itch. Then the heat and shock plundered them and the world went black with pain and thunder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bizzaro is working on his food-truck business, that's why he couldn't make it to the showdown...  
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> (There's more to come...!)


	2. Chapter 2

Explosions hurt a lot. It's the pain that makes one black out. That, or maybe it's the wooden beans that crush you and bonk you in the head, cold.

In his younger days as  _just_ Robin, Tim had experienced a few explosions here and there, but he was mostly fast (and smart) enough to escape their heat and shockwaves. Sometimes, there would be no time to flee, and Bruce would shield him with his own body. For a long time, this was the closest thing to a hug that Tim could get from him. Now that he was no longer in Gotham, the Dark Knight couldn't defend him from unescapable dangers, but there were others that looked out for him now. Conner, the Superboy, took it upon himself to guard their leader most of the time. He said it was his duty watch after his “weaker” teammates. There was also Bart, a descendant of the Flash, who was too kind and too fast to not help people, villains and allies alike. Cassie, who juggled between Young Justice League missions and Amazon training more often than not, also looked at Tim like a defenseless puppy. Thanks to her father's blood, an explosion at any distance would just send her flying with a couple of scratches. But for Tim, who had been born into wealth, who had been kept soft and doughy for the first half of his life, who was just human... An explosion going off steps away could do much more than give him just a scratch. 

But Tim wasn't soft and doughy anymore. He wasn't a regular human being either. Heck, he probably had never been normal, but now his mind and body were prepared for this sort of thing. It also helped that a bag of bricks threw himself over Tim before the shock actually reached him.

He woke up breathless, squished by the fallen building and the Red Hood. Something bothered him senseless, but Tim couldn't keep a straight thought. His head spun, like a whirlpool, like the washing machine back at the hideout. Something felt incredibly wrong with him, he could tell, but his mind was too cloudy to make sense of anything. He could hear someone call out his name, but even it sounded like nothing, nothing that meant something real. It was just a sound. Tim. Tim. Tim. Tim.

The word was on his mouth. He tested it on his dusted lips, feeling the _mm_ vibrate and tickle. The itch made some of his consciousness return, and he was able to rustle some debris from underneath Todd and everything else on top.

Suddenly, the weight on his chest got a lot lighter, and he was blinded by two brilliant stars.

“Tim...!”

He recognized that voice.

“Kory.” He wasn't sure if he actually made the sound out or not, but the alien princess reached out to him.

“Oh shit!” Said another voice close by. “Christ, Jason!”

The other voice came closer, and another heavy weight was lifted off from him. Tim took a deep breath, but something caught on his ribs and began to cough, causing pain to rush through his body again.

“Don't move. You're hurt.”

Even if his brain was still spinning around his skull, Tim sat up. Koriand'r wrapped her arms around him, keeping him from flopping back to the ground.

“So much for _don't move_.” The shape of the Amazon woman materialized in front of him.

“He's a Robin.” Scoffed Arsenal, who sat kneeling besides Todd. “They never listen to anyone. They're too stubborn. Too dumb!” He finished, shouting at the Red Hood's limp body.

“Is he...?” Mustered Tim.

“Dead.” Suggested the Amazon with a shrug.

Koriand'r turned to her teammate, and chastised her with a soft shush.

“Jason's fine, Tim.” Kory offered, petting his hair. “He's just... resting.”

Arsenal scoffed again, and smacked the top of Jason's helmet.

“Roy! Stop it.”

Tim huffed. _Must be hard working with children_.

“The mercenaries?”

“Some knocked out, some dead.” Kory turned her head to what remained of the deck around them. His vision was still blurry him, but Tim could see lumps sprawled out around them.

“The authorities will be here soon.” He said, gathering his strength. “We need to... We need to tie them up.”

“This idiot needs a doctor.” Said Arsenal. Tim wasn't sure if he was referring to him or the Red Hood. “Or something of the like.”

“The hideout.” Tim heard himself say. The idea of his peace and quiet being squandered was a bit unpleasant, but he knew the sacrifice was necessary. Red Hood's chest wasn't rising at all, and Tim was beginning to wonder if he should be worried too.

“We'll fly.” Determined Koriand'r, lifting him with one arm over her shoulder. “We'll get there a lot faster. You and Jason need immediate care.”

“Alright.” Said the Amazon woman, stretching.

“No. Wait. The men. Tie them up first.” Tim pointed out. “And the Penguin. And my cape...”

“The Penguin.” Repeated Arsenal, rising from the ground.

“My underwater scooter... thing.” He responded shaking his head, and intermediately regretting it. “It's underneath the deck, and my cape too. I can't leave them here.”

“Alright. Arsenal, tie up the men. The princess and I will take the injured to the base. When you're done, bring the cape and penguin back to us.”

Arsenal began to complain, but the Amazon woman was too busy scooping Red Hood from the ground, cradling him in her arms.

“Please, Roy.” Pleaded Kory as she adjusting Tim around her, giving him a piggyback ride. “They need help.”

“But how will I know my way to the hideout?!”

“Just tell the Penguin to go home.” Said Tim, blowing away Kory's hair from his dirty lips. “Please.”

Arsenal crossed his arms over his chest, and huffed out exuberantly.

“Fineeeee.” He began to walk away, asking himself why he always ended up with the short end of the stick.

Koriand'r and the Amazon exchanged nods, and lifted off the ground. The night wind cleared the princess's hair off Tim's face, letting him see San Diego down below them.

“Tim, I need you to stay awake.” Said his carrier. “I don't think I know where your new hideout is.”

“I'll do my best.” But the cool wind and the dizziness were such a perfect combination that he must have drifted off at some point, because when his eyes opened again they were already flying over San Jose.

“Tim.” Kory whispered.

“I'm awake.” He rubbed his masked eyes against his shoulder. “We need to keep going, past the city. There's a natural preserve with a lighthouse, a little farther west.”

Kory and the Amazon began to descend slowly. They were in the Gulf of the Farallones in minutes, and Tim pointed them to the hideout as they glided over the ocean. The gate opened at his command, and the four of them dropped into the entrance of the Young League's base.

“A gate that resembles a giant boulder? A bit cliché.” Said the Amazon.

The lights of the hideout began to turn on one by one, slowly illuminating their way as they moved forward and deeper underground.

“I didn't design it.” Tim sighed as Kory gently put him down. He wobbled a little before settling on a steady but slow pace towards the infirmary. Looking back at the people following him, he noticed that the Amazon had adjusted Jason over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. It was a good thing that the infirmary wasn't too far in.

“I'm sorry, I don't think I know your name.” He said, opening the door. “I'm Red Robin, or Tim, as you already heard.”

“Artemis.” Said the Amazon, entering the infirmary. “Where should I drop him?”

“Right here.” Tim had made sure that there were plenty of surgical tables in the room. One could never be too careful.

“I'll set him up.” Kory helped Artemis lower Jason onto the table, and looked up to see Tim standing besides them. “You go and take care of your wounds.”

Tim stepped from one foot to the other, regarding Hood and Kory.

“I know how to do this Tim, Dick showed me how. Now go.” She said, shooing him with a smile.

“Okay.” He said, quickly turning away, “Okay.”

The infirmary was one of the few rooms with no natural light, no windows. It was located furthest from the ocean, deep into the stone and dirt for safety. Tim didn't hate the room. He made sure it was comfortable enough for the patients and caretakers alike, but it was an infirmary after all. It wasn't a place he could go into just because he liked being in it. Lots of silver and whites. Too clean. Too quiet. And Tim _loved_ quiet...

He made it to the cabinets assigned for his well being, and pulled a curtain between himself and the outlaws.

“Ooof.” He heard Artemis say from across the room. “That's a lot of blood.”

“We should have removed the helmet beforehand.” Softly lamented Kory.

Tim took his mask off, fixing his hair with his fingers. His head began to throb, but he kept on removing his costume. There were bruises mostly, a few scratches with dried up blood. His back ribs hurt the most, but they were not broken. He had probably fallen badly when Todd pushed him down.

“Ew.”

“Artemis...!”

“Look at that. Do you think it will grow back if I tear it off?”

“Artemis, please, your hands could be dirty. If you're going to cut it, at least use a sterilized knife.”

“Okay!” Exclaimed Tim jumping on one foot as he hurriedly put on a pair of pants. “I'm taking care of him. Please, stand back for a moment.”

“But-”

“Nope!” In three steps, he was besides Kory and Artemis, hovering his arms over Todd so they couldn't get to him. “I'm fine Kory, please go and wait for Arsenal at the lounge area near the entrance.”

Kory pouted and fussed as Artemis snickered, pulling her out the infirmary's doors. Tim sighed once they were out of the room.

“That was close, huh.” He said to Jason.

Looking down at the patient, Tim discovered that the leader of the outlaws was, at least, still alive and breathing.

This... was Jason Todd.

Tim had never met him without the mask, never seen his face outside of a screen. He was... sweaty, and very bloody. His lip was cut in a deep diagonal, and there was red smeared from his chin all the way up to his eyes. His hair was curled and messed up from the helmet and sweat. The more he looked at Todd, the more irked he became at the effortless, stunning mess Todd was. Nightwing wished he could look this handsomely ragged when he got his ass kicked. (The drama queen tried every time, but he just looked like a dirty cosplayer trying too hard to impress...)

No matter how bloodied Jason was, he somehow seemed to be in no pain. He was a sleeping prince, pale, red and black.

_Interesting..._

_Get the job done, Robin....!_ Tim said to himself, remembering he had an unconscious man right beneath his nose.

He went and gathered a first aid kit, cleaned Todd's face, taped his lip back in place, and continued searching for any more injuries. Surprisingly, the Red Hood was pretty much in one piece. Most of his bones were where they belonged, though a couple of tendons had moved from their respected places. Tim decided to take care of them as fast as he could, pulling quick but forceful moves on his arms and legs. From the pull and tug, Todd recoiled and grunted as Tim worked him out, but it was what needed to be done.

“Sorry.” Tim murmured.

“No you're not.”

“Oh, you're awake.” Tim said, returning to look at Todd's face.

“Fantastic observation, Robin.” He sighed.

“How are you feeling?” The taunts were enough proof that he was fine, but still, confirmation was needed.

Todd took a minute to answer. His eyes were closed, and he breathed deeply as if asleep. Also, Tim hadn't noticed before, but there was a streak of white in Jason's bangs. How hadn't he notice before? Had it always been there? He moved closer for further inspection.

“You're blocking the sun...” Grunted Jason, eyes still closed.

“You're going white already.” As if he hadn't had four scattered, glistening white pieces himself.

Jason opened his eyes and stared up to his successor. They were green. Bright. Abnormally so. Something swam around in his irises, circling endlessly. Tim had never seen it before, but he knew Jason's eyes were a perfect copy for Lazarus Pit. He blinked, and Tim stepped back to look for... for nothing really. It would be kind of awkward to do his whole internal, detective monologue while staring at Jason Todd... He opened a cabinet and started to act, looking at bottles of medicine and at nothing at all.

The Lazarus Pit... Tim knew of its healing qualities. Allies and enemies alike used it; from Ra's al Ghul and the Riddler, to Cassandra Cain and apparently, now, Jason Todd. He had never seen Cass with shining green eyes before. If the pit was meant to heal, could it be that, somehow, miraculously, the pit's magic still worked on Jason? Was Cass able to do that too? She had never mentioned it to him... He would have to ask her later, but for now Tim was pretty sure that Jason Todd had auto-healing properties. That would explain why he was in pretty good shape. But what about the white streak of hair?

“I think I have a concussion.” Jason muttered.

Grabbing a stool, Tim returned to the surgical table and sat besides him. Maybe he did want to stare at Jason Todd more than he thought. Maybe he didn't mind doing his detective-ing in awkward silence after all. Jason's eyes were closed again, and had probably passed out. Sleep was the best thing he could do if he did suffer a concussion anyway.

Tim sighed.

This could have been him. Laying unconscious, at the mercy of fate and the unknown. His teammates were going to be very disappointed in him. Well, not disappointed, just mad. Which was no better. Conner for sure was going to raise his voice at him for doing exactly what he told them not to do: Something stupid. Bart was probably going to back up Conner and his righteous frustration. Tim knew he was going to get slapped by Stephanie in one way or another for getting himself hurt.

 _But I'm okay...!_ He could see himself telling them. _Also, look at this! I found the infamous Outlaws of Gotham! Everyone meet the murderous Red Hood, who's apparently to not be so murderous anymore...! Steph, please, don't kill him, he actually saved me!_

Honestly. Hood didn't even use his shiny guns throughout the whole encounter... He actually tried to help the bad guys change their ways? (Done in a poor manner, but still.)

( _And he saved me??)_

The mercenary boss made a key observation though. Jason was wearing the bat over his chest. Maybe Tim was more uninformed about Red Hood affairs than what his ego let him admit. His attitude towards Tim wasn't the friendliest, but at least he hadn't... Well, he did try to punch Tim, never mind. In the end, even if he had changed,it seemed that Red Hood still couldn't stand the sight of Tim Drake. So why was Tim so nonchalant about the whole ordeal? Why wasn't he afraid of getting hurt? Was he... over it?

Multiple times adults had patted his back and commented on what an emotionally mature boy he was, and he guess he could agree. Tim wasn't one to hold grudges for long. Even with his enemies, he never went after them for revenge. He just didn't want people to get hurt.

A part of him still wanted to be angry at Jason Todd, but that part was as large and as thick as a dust-bunny. So with a sigh, Tim blew the angry dust-bunny away, and placed his hand over Jason's forehead.

Tim knew. He knew that Todd's rage had been sown by Talia al Ghul and the League of Assasins. His motivation fueled by Deathstroke and the Joker. Jason was just the killing weapon, not the master mind. Manipulated. Played like a violin. Did he hurt people, physically and mentally? Yes. Tim knew that first hand. Did he kill people? Most definitely. But he wasn't hell reincarnated anymore. He tried to help people this time. It felt like they could be okay. Tim could learn to accept this person. Maybe Jason could learn to accept him as well.

Well, he could only hope.

Tim wished he could have met Jason sooner. They could have gotten along from the beginning, and made up after all that's happened. Who wouldn't want to be friends with their childhood hero?

“Too much wishful thinking.” Said Tim, removing Jason's black and white bangs from his face. He left the stool and continued to set up Jason to an IV, at least to keep him hydrated while regenerating. Tim noticed while searching for a good vein, that underneath his skin, Jason's blood was also greener than normal.

 _Fascinating_. For a moment, he considered extracting a couple of drops for further research, but he guessed Bruce had already done so. Tim made a mental note to hack the bat-computer later for more information.

After hooking up Jason to the machine, Tim finally put on a shirt, and left the infirmary to check on Kory and Artemis. He found them in the kitchen, already having invited themselves to two cans of soda from the fridge. Tim pulled out a platter of vegetables and hummus, and the three of them sat by the island, waiting for Arsenal to arrive at the base, and for Jason to fully recover.

“Shouldn't be long.” Said Artemis, biting onto a baby carrot. “It's not the first time he gets blown up.”

“I expect Jay to make that same remark once he awakens.” Kori giggled.

The two women raised the sodas at their exchange, and continued devouring the vegetables.

“It was a bigger explosion than what I expected.” Murmured Tim, monitoring his teammate's steps back in China. He had placed a mini camera on Steph's mask, unknowingly to her, to be able to hear and see everything at all times. Tim felt like Bruce would have done the same thing. It made him feel a bit icky, but part of him said that to judge Steph's performance without bias from his teammate's report, planting the camera without her knowing was a necessity. He tried not to beat himself up about it at the moment. It was already done.

“Maybe Roy can tell us what type of dynamite they used?” Suggested Kory.

“That's not necessary.” Steph, Kon, and Bart were currently running on top of the temple's roof, returning to the mountains. It seemed they had gotten what they were set up to acquire.

“If the boss had access to Jason's previous armory, which I'm positive he did by the look of their weapons and suits, then he used League's weaponry. I think he had... about two dozen explosives on him? Which was enough force to bring down the warehouse, mind you it was a wooden structure, so it came down rather easily. His goal was to kill Jason, so I'm not surprised he resorted to strapping the explosives on himself. I guess it must have been about a kilogram of- ”

“Goddess...” Whispered Artemis, frowning incredulously at Tim.

“He does that.” Smiled Kory, brushing Tim's hair back. “He's the thinker. Be glad he's not giving us any specifics yet.” She finished, pulling him in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

“Ah, I'm sorry.” Blushed Tim, pulling away. He stood up, taking his tablet with him.

“Oh, don't go.” Kori pleaded, “We weren't making fun.”

“It's okay.” He chuckled, “I should check on Todd anyway.” He waved as he left the kitchen, hoping to alleviate Kori's guilt somehow.

In the infirmary, Jason was still sleeping, so Tim just picked up his costume and threw it to a laundry basket.

“Maybe I should try to rest, too?” He whispered to himself.

Honestly, Tim didn't want to go back to the kitchen. He always preferred to keep his distance and observe before approaching new faces, just so he could know who he was dealing with. Kory wasn't new, per se, but he didn't know her the way Nightwing did. As for Artemis, she was just intimidating. In the best way possible. She was an Amazon, so by default she was wise and drop-dead gorgeous. Tim wasn't in the right mindset to try to keep up a respectable appearance to make a good first impression. Well, maybe second impression...

Tim laid down on surgical table nearby, and kept the tablet close to himself, just in case. He was going to wait out the situation besides his attempted murderer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes... Artemis doesn't really fly... But for the sake of this story let's say she unlocked the ultimate Amazon move during one of her misadventures with the Outlaws... :0


	3. Chapter 3

Falling asleep had never been one of Tim's best attributes. His inability to stay still used to ruffled Alfred's feathers when Tim had been recently taken in. On nights that Bruce went out by himself, he would walk around the mansion, discovering entrances to the cave, old Wayne family jewels and/or documents. Sometimes Alfred would find him and send him straight back to bed. Eventually, Tim honed in his stealth skills, and no matter how close Alfred came to see him, he was seldom caught and sent back to his room. No matter the case, as soon as he heard the Batmobile's purring engine, Tim would scramble to his bedroom and pretend to be asleep. Bruce would always check on him after patrol, but never came close enough to make sure that Tim was asleep. Which he wasn't. Once Tim knew Bruce was back home safely, he would fall asleep only to be awakened three hours from then.

After all those years, Tim's unhealthy habit of staying awake all night had been nothing but reinforced. He never slept when he worried about someone dear to him. He never slept when one of his allies was hurt.

From the corridor a loud squeal of laughter erupted, followed by a quieter shush and giggles. The sounds of Kory and Artemis from across walls and stone.

How could they be so relaxed? How did they do it? How were they so sure that their leader would spring back?

They joked and laughed while Jason still laid unconscious. Tim didn't doubt that they cared for him; Kory had insisted to take them to a doctor, and Artemis carried Jason without protest. They knew of his... self-healing condition. They trusted that he would come back to them.

Underneath the dimmed lights of the infirmary, Tim felt his bottom lip tremble, unconsciously embracing the tablet on his chest.

As soon as his teammates would return, he was going to tell Steph of the hidden camera on her mask and apologize. He was going to apologize to Conner and Bart for not trusting their evaluation on Steph's leadership through the mission. Apologize for being a hypocrite and getting himself hurt. But most importantly, he was going to apologize for not trusting their abilities, their own self-preservation skills. He wanted to give them the biggest hug as soon they came back, even if it went against his leader-bravado.

Besides him, Jason exhaled deeply. Tim's ears perked up, his mind returning to the infirmary's rustled stillness.

A soft draft was entering the room, welcoming the humming of fans from somewhere deep inside the hideout. Rubber against steel, Jason's boots slid from the table to the flood. He sighed, little sounds of tear and rustling told that he had ripped the bandage from his arm, pulling the IV from his veins.

There was silence again. Far away fans, diffused conversations, and the subtle swish of Jason's leather jacket as he stepped closer. Tim opened his eyes as soon as his shadow was over him. No bright, green eyes met him this time.

“You can regenerate.” Said Tim, “Why, and how.”

“Pit.” Jason loomed over, shadows covering his sleep-bound face.

“The pit heals _once_. Its powers weaken as time goes by.”

“Not for me.”

“Why.”

Jason huffed, and turned away.

“Who knows.”

Tim sat up, and watched as the ex-Robin waddled to the countertop faucet on the side of the room. Jason's dark hair disappeared inside the sink, his shoulders dropping once the cold water splashed down his neck.

“You really don't know?”

“Even if I did, what makes you think I 'wud tell you?” He said from underneath the waterfall.

“I was hoping the concussion would lighten you up a bit.” Tim was half-joking, but Todd didn't know him enough to hear it in his voice.

“Concussion's gone.”

“Is that so...” Tim murmured to himself. How long had it been since the blast? An hour? Maybe a little bit more. Was he really healed, though? Or was he bluffing? Tim would never find out, and that mildly peeved him.

Jason turned the water off, and began to open the cabinets he could reach.

“Care to explain the sudden white hair?”

“How about you help me find a towel, and then ask your little questions, hm?”

Tim silently tip-toed his way to the countertop, and swatted Todd's hand away from the cabinets. He dumped a towel over Jason's dripping wet hair, observing his motor movements for any sign of impediments.

“Gee, thanks.”

“Don't mention it. Now, Q&A?”

Todd rubbed his hair dry. He fixed his look while admiring himself in the mirror. Ever so patient, Tim waited for a response, but after a last hair flick, Todd just dropped the towel on the counter, turned to the door, and left the infirmary.

“Wait. Wait, hey...!”

Todd was, what? Maybe a head taller than Tim, but, man, did his legs take him far... He made his way to the front of the hideout, following the sounds of his teammates into the kitchen. Tim didn't bother calling after him again. It was a waste of air.

“Jason! Thank goodness, you have recovered.” Tim heard Kory say as he entered the kitchen. He bumped into Jason, who was just standing in the middle of the archway like the brick wall that he was.

“Put on your shoes, we're leaving.” Said Jason, slightly turning his head to stare down at Tim.

“We're waiting for Roy.”

“Yes.” Kory levitated towards Jason with open arms, “We had to leave him behind to bring you and Tim to safety. You weren't breathing, Jay.” She finished in that typical pleading tone of hers.

“I'm breathing fin-” Frowned Jason, but before he could finish, a can of soda crushed against his nose. He stepped back, stomping on Tim (and his bare feet), who yelped, jumping out of the way, letting Jason complete the motion, and fall onto one of the many (strategically) scattered bean bags around the common places of the hideout.

“Your reflexes need some work.” Smiled Artemis as she made her way out the hallway, gallant, gorgeous, and towering. Tim wondered if Cassie would ever grow up to become like her. He had mixed feelings about the possibility.

Artemis extended a hand to Jason, who reached back regardless of how red his face had turned.

“You're not an Amazon, Jason.”

“Stop reminding me.” They took each other's forearms and Artemis easily pulled her partner up. Jason extracted his arm from her grasp, pushing the blush away with his knuckles.

“But we're gone as soon as Roy's here, alright?”

“If that's what you want.” Said Kory, circling over Jason like a fairy. She pushed him into the kitchen as Artemis supervised.

Tim watched them, then turned to look at the clock inside the kitchen.

It was only 3 am.

How much longer until longer until Arsenal arrived? A small part of him hoped it would be later rather than sooner.

Tim followed the Outlaws inside the kitchen and watched as Kory sat the Prince of Gotham on her stool. She petted his hair, pressing her red lips on the side of his temple, caressed his stubbled jaw. He watched as Artemis recounted and analyzed Jason's plan, mostly bringing up the parts where it went wrong. He watched as Jason quietly struggled with the princess' constant affection and the warrior's relentless criticism.

“The plan didn't go as _planned_ ,” Jason explained, frowning profusely, “It went as _expected._ Mostly. _He_ wasn't part of the plan. Kory, please, I'm saying this is the best way possible. Pleeease, _lay off.”_

 _“_ But love is the best medicine.”

“Everything in excess is bad.”

“What she said.” Jason pointed, peeling himself off Kory's embrace and jumping off the stool. “Actually, that much love has given me the urge to hurt myself. I need a smoke.”

Kory gasped, turning to her sister-in-arms. _Are you going to let this happen??_ her face said, but Artemis just took a sip of her new soda, nonchalant.

“Replacement, unless you want ash on your floor, show me to a balcony or something.”

Leaving his secluded stool on the corner of the kitchen, Tim silently walked Jason out and to the front of the hideout. With a voice command a side door opened, and Todd walked out.

A blast of sound rushed into the hideout, along with cool, salt-soaked air. Being that they were standing on a national preservation park, it was also deafeningly dark. Only stars and a thin waning moon hanged in the sky, the dim resonance of the city, and a puff of Jason's cigarette intercepting the view.

Tim grimaced, pinching his nostrils. His senses had been so overwhelmed by the beauty of the night that he forget the reason of why he was out there, and now he was paying the consequence.

He had never appreciated the invasion of smoke inside his lungs. Cigarette smoke, to be more specific, wood smoke was fine as long as it didn't cling to his clothes, which always did anyways.... His parents had been social-smokers, but he had never learned to live with it, being that they were always away from home.

“Don't lock me out.” Jason warned from somewhere in the distance. The tiny ambers of his cigarette slightly illuminated his location. For an instant, they burned brightly, and the shape of his jaw came to view.

“I won't.” Responded Tim. He sat at the edge of the door frame, and waited.

Bare feet on the wet sand, the front half of his body sat exposed to the cold wind and salty spray, while his back was kept slightly warmer. He considered switching up his sitting position, but the thought was interrupted by another smoke cloud.

Tim sniffed out, considered, and then breathed in. It was rather foolish to hold his breath. Just because his apparent destiny seemed to be filled by secondhand-smoke, didn't mean it was going to make him meet his maker.

Resigned, he let it travel through his lungs and out, triggering a memory. One night, Bruce and he tracked Two-Face inside an abandoned chocolate factory. The place had been filled with thick cigar smoke, which cloaked Batman and Robin as they sneaked closer to bring him and his goons down. The smoke has been sweet, dense, and warm. Tim didn't particularly remember much of that night except for the sensations of the smoke inside his ribs. It had been... an experience...

Outside his mind, more smoke floated above him. His shivered, opening his eyes.

The moon had moved since the last time Tim had checked on it, and the white in the air filled up.

Why, Tim's mind was beginning to give in.

The sweetness, the toxicity. The feeling. Maybe it wasn't all too bad.

It reminded him of his parents. Of Bruce and their adventures together.

The memories Tim shared with them might not all be good ones, but they were his.

Now, Tim would think of Jason Todd too, every time he would be around white, non-corporeal plumes, floating and spiraling around themselves.

Then Tim noticed.

Something was... different. The wind, and the slow rolling of the waves of the Pacific reached him. It seemed like the sea had finally settled down.

The gusts had done it's job and left. It had successfully damped his hair and clothes, turned his skin cold, leaving a layer of water droplets all over his bruises and scars.

All of this exposure to hazardous gases and possible future sickness. For what? 

Tim pouted at himself.

He had to stop being this tolerant. So far, him being out there icing his butt on salty water hadn't changed the fact that his once favorite Robin was still out there on his own, at the edge of indifference and annoyed at his presence.

The worst part was he was still there. For him. For the person Todd had been before he died.

Tim knew Jason Todd the way Stephanie knew her favorite youtuber. Maybe even more. The night Tim discovered the bat-cave's old security recordings, he squealed so hard that the cave's alarm got off. He spent the rest of his days watching them in his room, with a _borrowed_ computer as Alfred had forbidden him to return to the cave without adult supervision until further notice. He watched Dick's and Barb's training sessions, but he never sped forward Jason's. Tim was, embarrassingly so, obsessed with the Robin of his era. What to be expected from a kid that went out on the streets of Gotham to catch a glimpse of the him and the Batman? He watched Jason train, sing and dance, play pranks and embrace Bruce when he less expected it. As Tim grew, he stopped watching the recordings, but he kept Jason on a warm and loving light in his heart.

Then Todd returned from the dead and beat Tim, stabbed him, degraded him. He wanted to think that Steph would also be torn if JennaMarbels did the same to her.

For a while Tim had been in denial. How could an affectionate person like Jason become that cruel? He found out, but the answer didn't erase the fact that Jason had almost killed him.

Wet steps made their way back to Tim, and Jason -unmasked, battered, but recovering- returned with the butt of his cigarette between his middle and pointer finger. He took the last, long drag out of it, and squished the remainder of the embers with the sole of his boot.

“Scooch.” He said, dropping the cigarette inside a pocket.

Tim scooched, and Jason sat besides him.

The side door was supposed to be a secret entrance, so its size wasn't quite right for two full-size young adults. Neither of them said a word about being skin to leather, and Tim wasn't going to make it awkward by trying to adjust himself.

“It's been over two years so I'll pretend that we're both over what happened.”

Tim blinked.

Were they going to talk about it? Just like that??

“I am over it.” Said Tim, as if he hadn't forgiven Jason for trying to murder him minutes ago.

“Good.”

“You?”

Jason didn't reply. He just looked ahead, into the dark horizon. His brow was furrowed, and his taped, lower lip stuck out from his face just a little, the way Bruce's did when he was slightly annoyed, or pensive, or both. Now that he thought about it, they all pouted a lot...

Cold still clang to the air despite the wind dying down, subduing the waves. It was nice to have a filter between their silence, but nothing so deafening as the clashing sea from before.

“About earlier?” Tim whispered, “Thanks for protecting me back there. I admit I was brash, and... I shouldn't have gotten in your way.”

“Yeah, you shouldn't have. But what's done is done.”

Tim smiled thinly.

“It was surprising to see the Red Hood giving people a way out of their bad habits, instead of just... shooting them.”

“Some people deserve a second chance.”

“They did?”

“You don't know them like I did. They...” Jason stopped on his tracks, and stole at glance at Tim. He knew the young detective was trying to get him to talk. Tim looked back at him, giving his best I-know-nothing-Jon-Snow face.

Jason relented, rolling his eyes.

“You know how it is. People lose their families to rival gangs. They want power, they want revenge. They want to feel that they can change things. We convinced them, that all of us together? We could make a difference. And I promised that after we were done in Gotham we would take back their homes. But of course that didn't happen.”

Jason finished, nibbled at the corner of his finger nails.

Tim had missed it. The night before Halloween, before Jason's and Deathstrock's attack on Gotham, while Tim was patrolling around Crime Alley, he encountered Jason in another mask and the rest was history. He spent the next day laying unconscious at the Batcave while the Arkham Knight and the rest of Gotham's infamous terrorists destroyed the city.

“I've been-” Jason started, then shook his head. “I made a lot of promises, and never fulfilled a single one.”

“There's not a day that I don't think of everything I've said and done. Not a moment that I don't...”

He looked down, eyes lost in the wet sand hidden in their combined shadows.

“I don't know how much you know, Tim-”

 _Tim??_ Tim's eyes widened.

“-but I was... under sum' pretty bad influences. Substance-wise. An' people-wise. Ya'canb'lievewateva'th'hellya'want.” Jason spat, nostrils flaring as he inhaled.

He paused, tilting his face towards the younger boy, though his eyes were nowhere near him. He placed his face between his crossed arms, speaking to their feet.  
“But I don't think I would have... hurt you if I had meet you under any other circumstance.”

Tim closed his mouth, puckered his lips. He nodded slightly.

A little Michael Scott screamed at the top of his lungs for Tim to _ReMaIn CaLm!!_ He hoped that his usual resting poker face hadn't broken down the way his insides did. He didn't feel his feet, his hands or arms. Rather, maybe there was a blackhole devouring him from his core, sinking and crumbling him down while his face burned away. But besides that? He was fiiiiiiiine. Really.

“You lied.” Tim laughed. “You're still giddy from the concussion. Aren't you?”

“No.” Jason answered, eyes focused on the horizon. “No, my head's pretty clear right now.”

And just like that Jason stood up and left.

“Just don't make a big deal about it, okay? Why are you making a big deal about it, huh?” His voice, his regular 'over-it' tone, echoed from the entrance lobby.

Tim gathered his frozen feet from beneath him, and stumbled as he rose.

“What changed your mind?” Tim heard himself say. “About me.”

“You're still making a big deal about it...!” Jason sang.

“I'm serious.” Somehow his frozen feet caught up to the young man. “You could just, like, not said anything at all.”

“You're a smart kid, Timothy. Figure it out.”

Tim frowned. Was it too much wanting to hear it from him instead? Apparently, yeah.

This was the second time Jason had walked away from him, so Tim understood that there was no use arguing with him anymore. But at least... At least they talked. At least Tim knew that Jason didn't hate him anymore. And that he was trying. Trying to be more open and sincere. Trying to get to know Tim better, perhaps?? Tim bit down his lips as they curled up. He couldn't help it. He would always be a hopeful silly-drake...

Then his unthawed feet got tangled, and Tim tripped. Automatically, his body went for a front roll, but instead of the floor he hit a leathered bag of bricks.

“Oof!” A full mouthful of red bat suit appeared at Tim's lips. It tasted like dirt. Ew.

“Watch where you're going.”

“I know where I'm going.” Tim scoffed, peeling his face off the armor, “You got in my way, I was fine-!”

“Oh...!” A voice called out from behind them. “My goodness...”

The two Robins snapped their necks, looking for the source of the voice.

“Jaybird... I'm so proud. Look at you..! Bonding with your baby brother...! Adorable. Hold on, hold on. Keep that pose, I gotta send this to Dickie.”

“No!” Tim and Jay shouted out in unison, jumping away from each other.

“I fell! I tripped!”

“I swear to god, Roy... If you send anything to Dickwing...!”

Roy cackle as he made his way towards them. He took their shoulders and brought the three of them together for a triple-side hug.

“Good to see you alive, you idiot.” He said petting Jason's hair.

Jason snapped his teeth his way, but Arsenal retaliated with a kiss on the tip of Jason's nose. Tim recoiled as the red hunter turned to him, but to his relief, Harper didn't dive to plant a kiss on him as well.

“I know you got blown up and all, but next time you ask someone to retrieve your stuff, give them the code to access your toys, m'kay? I had to disassemble the Penguin to get back here. It's mostly put back together. I'm not sure where this piece belonged but the thing works fine, I mean, I'm here, aren't I?” He said, as he dropped a component on Tim's cupped hands. “Cute sticker, by the way.”

Tim looked at the component, back at Arsenal, then at Jason, who was eagerly cleaning the kiss off his skin.

“Roy? Is that you?”

“Kory! I'm home!” Arsenal followed his lover's voice away from the ruffled Robins.

Jason and Tim were left alone on the hallway, rattled and stupefied.

“My... Penguin... How....?”

“Just...Take it or leave it, Drake.” Jason sniffed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter might be the last. Could take a while...'till then, hope you're all well :)


End file.
